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times are changing

I mentioned to my law partner how I had looked up WWII enlistment records for my late uncle and distant cousin. My partner reminded me that his late father and his late uncle had both been crew on bombers in the Pacific theater of the war. His father had been on one of the first daylight raids upon Japan. His uncle had been a prisoner of war in a brutal camp after being shot down. Tonight I looked up their enlistment records.

They enlisted a goodish way but in the same state from where they were from. They came from Cherokee County in rural east Texas. Their transition to India and flying on B-29s and being exposed to drastic risks, things outside their experience, must have been a huge culture shift for two twentysomethings. I read an issue of Life Magazine from the 1940s which contained a picture of the bomber on which my partner's father was bombardier. It looks primitive and dangerous and a marvel, as all airplanes do.

The news is full of odd things still. Meanwhile, folks on social media talk about unplugging and getting away from the news. I think this is not the right thing to do. I am all for kindness beyond narrow political contexts. But this is a time when paying attention matters a bit more than usual--and it always matters a good bit. I think it's a time when things will change swiftly. I hope things get better.

I looked up my late Great Uncle Jake's records, too. He served stateside, working on airplanes. He saw the people go off to war, but did not duty closer to home.

After work, I walked in Bob Woodruff Park. I listened to the Late Night Linux podcast. I watchded part of a baseball game on television. Later, we watched another episode of "'Foyle's War".